Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-18

There Is Not About a MiIIion-Hs
Doesn't Go to Canada, But Is Supposed
To Be Drawing the Briny for England
His Business Interests.
NEW YORK, March iS-The flight of Wal
ter E. LAYTON, the only partner 10 the firm
of Lawton Bros, dealers in fertiliz,r s at 81
Broadway, which was made public Thurs
day, was great surprise in mercantile cir.
cles He had heen in business forty-cne
years with an honorable reputation. and
was regarded as millionaire He came to
this country from England in 1859, the bust
ness having been established in 1916 The
ttyle was Lawton Bros, the firm continuing
upt 1857, when Walter E. Lawton sue
ceeded to the business, and has since con-
Quoted it alone He had very large bust
ness, and was among the leading men in the
fertilizer trade in this city. He was inter
estei in numerous other concerns.
He was general pratner in the firm Of
James s. Person & Co., builders of gas
works, of 80 Broadway. Il is stated that
Mr.. Lawton took about 1865, 600 in bonds and
stock out of the firms safe, which be applied
to bis own use
He was the president and treasurer Of the
Navassa Phosphate company, at 81 Broad
way and Baltimore, and is reported to have
used the company's endorsement freely. Their
capital stock is 81, 10000 Me- Lawton was
said TO have the controlling interest in the
company, and the latter was interested in
the Navassa Guano company, the Chssa-
peake Guano company, thu Georgia Chemical
works, and the Rosin Fertilizer company.
The island of Navassa, in the caribbean SEA,
is reported to have cost the N4vassa Phos-
plate company si,30,010 The company
paid good dividends, aud NJ. L1wton vas
supp )sed to have made good deal of money
out of the concern Mr. LAYTON was one Of
the incorporates OF the Delta Actin COM
pany, fertilizers, at 1873 Water street, which
was incorporated Feb. ], 1888 with a capital
OF 100000. j. D. Jones is the president and
active manager James P Canning AMI
Rufus I. Kirkland, both connected with
Mr.. Lawton's office, at Lawton Bros, are re
spectively president and treasurer
Mr.. Lawton made the following statement
to Bradstreet's Aug "A, 1885: 81 regard
myself as being worth fully s., coo, o)l, and
at no time do owe exceedin, 100000, the
pay ticbt VI "EtSh - itpNitcu IcA w Tue III
surance of Sl05, 90 on my life. made payable
to the holders Of such obligations, should thert
be any at my death. do thi, to protect my
investments and estate from sacrifice and the
interruption Of my business from such caus.
as stated"
Mr.. Lawton owned about 6}h acres Of lani
near RidgsdeId, N. J., known as Delta,
which be valued at s4oI, 0o0. but which cos:
him <91,0n He also owned a house a;
Spuyten Duyvel, n. Y, hal property al
Chelsea, Mass, and was Interested il a ga.
company at Atlanta AMI Macon, Ga.
The first Pubic knowleige OF Mr.. Law
toms fight was obtained through the at
tachments which were granted bv judge
Donohne of the supreme court They aggre
gate s24;', O0o, and the sheriff took possession
of what assets he could fad The first at
tachment was in favor of the Delta .zotu
company for sll2,0oo. OF this aa,5-E.4lo9,
90 was the proceeds of promis ,nry note
which LAYTON had discounted and appropri
| ated 10 his own use, snd SI2,G0 depoa
tied in his care on behalf of the company OF
Tuesday by President jones. The next at
tachmen. was in favor of the Chemical Am
| monte AMI OIL company for 81 ,0o0, O
| which $4,000 was the proceeds Of note
pocketei by Mr.. Lswton, ami Ss,Hs cash
| The third attachment was in favor Of Rob
ert A. Van Wyck for S., 100 for prcfessioua
services
Tie affidavits on which the attachment
were granted averred that Mr.. LAYTON haf
left the city H was last seen on the Gran.
| Central station on Tues hay evening by
| Rrfus IT Kirkland his l., t,i1 sl,,
| latter that he had drawn all his money iron
I the bank where he hal account. viz: TIN
| American.
Various theories are advanced az to tn
cause Of his f ght, but nothing definite i
known regar,lin, It, H. is said tn have los
money in speculation. Toe general impress
sion is that lie became involved ami beins
pressed he took what money he could ge
in hurry. an ran away. II is thought h
has gone 10 England,
The amount of his liabilities is voriousll
estimate al from $50, 90 to 81 ,nn, 100. bu
| it is thought that the actual liabilities viii
not exceei the former figures Tn amount
| he has obtained notes from the varieu
banks is known to be at least S2p,n0l
The American Exchange bank holds $50
of discount paper, the value OF all Of whicl
is not known; the United States Trust con-
pany has $4,000 IN paper with Lswton's in
dorsement, and the Fourth National Sill, -
of the same kind; other banks hold SINAI
amounts, but most of this is secured Titu
| Mead, broker says he has out less than Si91,
900 of receivables bearing Lawton's signature
| The Delta Actin company has attached Nj
Lawton's property at Dslta. aud the home a
Spuy.en DuyviL Mr.. Lawton is said to h
about s. years of age, and has been a wild
over for about two years.